North Carolina's new drivers licenses cause concern

Recently in North Carolina the state Attorney General has directed the Department of Motor Vehicles to issue drivers licenses to children of immigrants who entered the country with their parents as minors. The order comes about following President Obama's implementation of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) law. The law, which allows qualified person temporary work permits, has been hotly debated across the nation With U.S. Immigration Law being debated all across the US and here in North Carolina, many groups have expressed concern over the new laws.

After the Attorney General issued his new opinion, the DMV announced that it would begin issuing licenses to qualified applicants on March 25. Since that announcement, the DMV has released what they expect the licenses to look like. The DMV has announced that the license will have a pink bar across the top and contain the words "No Lawful Status".

Immigration groups have expressed concerns over this new license design. The groups are concerned that qualified individuals will be discriminated against based on their drivers licenses. The groups, like the American Civil Liberties Union, are worried that if immigrants show their licenses at the liquor store or at work, they will be treated differently or discriminated against because of their different licenses.

On the other side, the Congressional Republicans in North Carolina are concerned that the granting of licenses to immigrants who, without the DACA would have no legal status in the US, gives too much power. They are concerned that if the immigrants are pulled over by the police they will be given a citation and released, whereas if they did not have a license, they would be taken into custody.

As immigration laws are frequently changing and placing immigrants in difficult situations, laws may confuse people. It is important to seek competent representation if faces with an immigration ssue.

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